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Alex Smith in spread offense (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter drew726
- Start date
Helps Smith's value and drops Gore a bit, but he still gets a lot of dump offs.
Superbowl Shuffle
Footballguy
So is SF going to run the spread all of the time from here on out? Smith could be a great sleeper QB as his weapons continue to develop and some soft secondaries on the schedule (SEA, ARI, DET).
Can any homers give us some insight on the gameplan and formations used this week and previous weeks? Were they in the spread more than 50% of plays? 3 and 4 WR sets? How does the run/pass ratio compare to early in the season before they embraced the spread offense?
Can any homers give us some insight on the gameplan and formations used this week and previous weeks? Were they in the spread more than 50% of plays? 3 and 4 WR sets? How does the run/pass ratio compare to early in the season before they embraced the spread offense?
LittlePhatty
Footballguy
The shift to the spread wasn't gradual - it happened the very moment Shaun Hill was benched during the Week 7 game and Smith took the field. They immediately starting passing more and using the spread. That was Crabtree's first game too. Probably not a coincidence.My QB situation sucks, but I managed to make the playoffs anyway. I picked up Smith just for his matchups during the FF playoffs. He's probably good for 20+ points against each of those three opponents, and possibly a lot more in Week 16 against DET.
PlasmaDogPlasma
Footballguy
Smith is looking like this year's Thigpen (for fantasy).
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Superbowl Shuffle
Footballguy
But he had only 23 pass attempts in the Bears game. What happened in week 10 to cause such a poor statline, and would that scenario present itself again going forward?
Twilight
Footballguy
In the preseason, the Niners had to install an entire new offense. With so much to do (and missing one piece of it in Crabtree as well), they focused heavily on getting the Running game going with the qb under center. Very little practice time was given to any exotic formations, like the spread.
Fast forward a few weeks. The o-line is injured, and not playing that well anyway. Smith is the QB. From under center like was majorly practiced all offseason, he has been OK at best, to horrible. But he has looked great in 2 games when they fell far behind, and had no choice but to start chucking it from the spread, which was Alex's college offense. In fact, in the HOU game, there were 23 passing plays in the 2nd half (from memory, the number might be slightly off). 22 were from the spread. The one play under center resulted in the only INT of the half.
Now Singletary has been adamant that they can't run the spread because of the lack of preparation. He said in a couple of pressers the past two weeks that it wasn't happening, they don't have time midseason to deal with a new offensive scheme, and continued to run their base offense, for the most part, in Chicago. But they still couldn't do anything with the base offense, but the TD and only real offense came again with the spread. So, despite Singletary's protestations they can't do it, they came out throwing, almost to excess, against JAX, from the spread.
If the O-line was fully healthy and playing like it should, then this would be a non-issue. Singletary could keep running like he wants normally, and Alex Smith would just have to deal with it being under center. But with the O-line not opening holes, it falls to Smith's QBing to get yards. And the only reliable way to do it is the spread. They may have not practiced it to Singletary's liking, but he's pragmatic enough to use it to it's fullest, IMO.
Fast forward a few weeks. The o-line is injured, and not playing that well anyway. Smith is the QB. From under center like was majorly practiced all offseason, he has been OK at best, to horrible. But he has looked great in 2 games when they fell far behind, and had no choice but to start chucking it from the spread, which was Alex's college offense. In fact, in the HOU game, there were 23 passing plays in the 2nd half (from memory, the number might be slightly off). 22 were from the spread. The one play under center resulted in the only INT of the half.
Now Singletary has been adamant that they can't run the spread because of the lack of preparation. He said in a couple of pressers the past two weeks that it wasn't happening, they don't have time midseason to deal with a new offensive scheme, and continued to run their base offense, for the most part, in Chicago. But they still couldn't do anything with the base offense, but the TD and only real offense came again with the spread. So, despite Singletary's protestations they can't do it, they came out throwing, almost to excess, against JAX, from the spread.
If the O-line was fully healthy and playing like it should, then this would be a non-issue. Singletary could keep running like he wants normally, and Alex Smith would just have to deal with it being under center. But with the O-line not opening holes, it falls to Smith's QBing to get yards. And the only reliable way to do it is the spread. They may have not practiced it to Singletary's liking, but he's pragmatic enough to use it to it's fullest, IMO.
pollardsvision
Footballguy
I have no inside info and don't follow the Niners too much, but I'd say way more than 50% yesterday. Smith, Crabtree, and Davis all seem to love the spread, especially Smith, so I'm sure the trend will continue. Smith certainly looked really comfortable in the spread, for obvious reasons. I could imagine it being dialed back some in the coming weeks, as the JAX pass defense is especially horrible. I don't know what'll happen, but I certainly look at Smith as a solid play in most cases going forward. The Niners didn't look comfortable running the ball and Smith is looking good with some great young weapons.
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CrazyHorse1581
Footballguy
Hoping it continues. I'm starting Smith over Schaub this week. Can't risk Schuab having trouble with that shoulder in the playoffs.
Power Monster
The Midnight Stalker
He is going in and all signs point to a solid week.
ugh I hope Gore is more involved than he was last week! He is actually a really great fit for a spread offense, AS LONG as the team is designing specific plays for him to get him into space. Seems the change to spread was rushed, and they don't really have a fully prepared playbook to leverage all their weapons. And gore is arguably their biggest weapon, though VD might have something to say about it...
I just picked up Smith to start him over McNabb. Maybe you should go with McNabb so at least one of us gets it right.
Twilight
Footballguy
It is. The spread was NOT installed in the preseason, nor was it practiced more than a token amount. That's why Singletary has been so reluctant to play it. Smith's inability to make plays from under center and the O-line's inability to open holes for Gore combined to force their hand.
Not sure about the spread being a proven loser. First, it was the lack of success using a conservative offense that forced the Niners to use the spread in the first place. Second, the Niners are 1-1 since using the spread, not great, but not a proven loser either. Finally, they were having success last week against SEA using the spread and probably would have won if not for a late fumble by...Gore.
Rovers
Footballguy
The base offesne with Smith under center was awful. The O line is horrible. They can at least score from the spread... and can't from the base. Yet you think they should use a game plan that scores NO points at all? Did you even read some of the quality posts in this thread?
FavreCo
Footballguy
2-0 with Gore getting 20 carries.The base offesne with Smith under center was awful. The O line is horrible. They can at least score from the spread... and can't from the base. Yet you think they should use a game plan that scores NO points at all? Did you even read some of the quality posts in this thread?
the answer is obviously the middle ground, with using the spread but still getting Gore his touches, whether through the run or through designed pass plays for him. VD and Crabtree must be keeping the defense honest, so a well designed screen or 3 with gore should pay huge dividends Right now they're just a team without an identity, and that will definitely lead to more losses than wins...
Twilight
Footballguy
So 1 game is a "proven loser"? They won with it against Jax. They were being stomped by GB before running it exclusively in the 2nd half. The only time the offense could move down the field against the Bears was the TD that came thanx to the spread.Gore needs to get involved somehow is indisputable. But doing it from the base offense is more of a "proven loser" than ignoring him and cranking up the passing game instead.
Twilight
Footballguy
One of those wins was Ari, and Gore had 30 yds on those 22 carries. Definitely not the reason they won. That stat is meaningless.2-0 with Gore getting 20 carries.The base offesne with Smith under center was awful. The O line is horrible. They can at least score from the spread... and can't from the base. Yet you think they should use a game plan that scores NO points at all? Did you even read some of the quality posts in this thread?
A bit simplistic, no? First, its hard to get to 20+ carries when you are not having any success running the ball (like a few Niner games this year). Also, often times, getting to 20+ carries can be a result of having success, not necessarily the cause of it. But lets take a look at those two games of 20+ carries. In the first, Gore rushed 22 times for 30 yards. Seems to me, that game was won despite the lack of a running game (tough defense), not because of it. In the second, Gore did have success at 25 carries, 104 yards. But even with the success on the ground, it took Cutler’s 5th interception in the final seconds of the game for the Niners to pull it out. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the conservative play and in fact, the lack of success in that game was a significant factor in the change in scheme.2-0 with Gore getting 20 carries.The base offesne with Smith under center was awful. The O line is horrible. They can at least score from the spread... and can't from the base. Yet you think they should use a game plan that scores NO points at all? Did you even read some of the quality posts in this thread?
FavreCo
Footballguy
Another win with Gore getting 20+ carries. 20 running plays is not conservative. It's balanced. If this team wants to win, the ball has to be in Frank Gore's hands more than 10 times.A bit simplistic, no? First, its hard to get to 20+ carries when you are not having any success running the ball (like a few Niner games this year). Also, often times, getting to 20+ carries can be a result of having success, not necessarily the cause of it. But lets take a look at those two games of 20+ carries. In the first, Gore rushed 22 times for 30 yards. Seems to me, that game was won despite the lack of a running game (tough defense), not because of it. In the second, Gore did have success at 25 carries, 104 yards. But even with the success on the ground, it took Cutler’s 5th interception in the final seconds of the game for the Niners to pull it out. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the conservative play and in fact, the lack of success in that game was a significant factor in the change in scheme.2-0 with Gore getting 20 carries.The base offesne with Smith under center was awful. The O line is horrible. They can at least score from the spread... and can't from the base. Yet you think they should use a game plan that scores NO points at all? Did you even read some of the quality posts in this thread?
Power Monster
The Midnight Stalker
Anyone brave enough to start him in Philly?
